Funding

Budgeting & resources

Planning Your Budget

Use the guide below to help you create a detailed breakdown of costs you can expect as part of your Learning Abroad experience:

OSAP

Good news, you can maintain your OSAP while on a Learning Abroad experience!

  • If you receive U of T credits or transfer credits for your study abroad program, you are eligible to receive the same amount of OSAP that you would receive here at U of T.
  • If you receive internship credits you may be eligible for OSAP during your time abroad depending on your internship salary, duration, and applicable academic credits.

More information can be found here.

Funding From Other Canadian Provinces

Please contact the U of T Out-of-Province Financial Aid Team prior to applying to your home province or territory for your exchange term. This will ensure that your application information is correct before submitting the application.

Awards And Scholarships

Several funding sources are available across U of T (Centre for International Experience, Faculties and Departments), and through other institutions (Host institutions, Foundations, Governments).

Some partner institutions may provide additional funding to students, like Erasmus + (funded by the European Union) or Summer Research.

Family Support And Savings

Family and friends may be able to provide additional financial support for your Learning Abroad experience or you may have savings to put toward the costs of your exchange.

Planning

To give you an idea of your budget, you may use one of the many websites available to find out the difference in the cost of living between Toronto and your dream destination (numbeoexpatistan, etc.)

Tips

There are many ways to reduce the price of your experience

  • Subletting: you can explore the option to sublet your housing to help pay for your Toronto housing while abroad.
  • Phone/Internet Plan Suspensions: often you can suspend your phone and Internet plans in Toronto. Check with your provider!
  • Living On-Campus Abroad: choose a partner university where on-campus housing is available or guaranteed.
  • House-Sharing Abroad: be prepared to share your home with other students, or investigate opportunities to stay with host families.
  • Self-Catered Accommodation: having access to a kitchen can help save money on food.
  • Lower Cost-of-Living Destinations: select countries where the cost of living is equivalent to or lower than Toronto. Remember it is not always the reputation of the partner institution that counts but what you will take from the experience of going abroad!
  • Smaller Cities vs Capital Cities: Capital cities and big cities are often more expensive. Investigate smaller cities too. Often times your experience will be even more genuine and keep in mind that in some countries like in Europe, distance is more manageable than in Canada.

Western Europe

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return Flight Total
Austria$950-$2000$1500-$1700$1300-$2500$3750-$6200
Belgium$1000-$1800 $1300-$1500$1200-$2600$3500-$5900
Czech Republic$850-$1600 $1100-$1300$1350-$2300$3300-$5200
Denmark$1200-$2800$1550-$1750$1100-$2450$3850-$7000
Estonia$700-$1700$1300-$1500$1100-$2600$3100-$5800
Finland$950-$1950$1600-$1800$1300-$2600$3850-$6350
France$900-$2200$1400-$1600$1200-$1900$3500-$5700
Germany$900-$2300$1400-$1600$1200-$2400$3500-$6300
Ireland$1800-$3700$1450-$1650$900-$2600$4150-$7950
Italy$750-$1800$1200-$1400$1200-$2550$3150-$5750
Netherland$1400-$2700$1400-$1600$1250-$2200$4050-$6500
Norway$1200-$2500$1700-$1900$1100-$2800$4000-$7200
Portugal$900-$2000 $900-$1100$1000-$1900$2800-$5000
Spain$900-$1800$1000-$1200$1000-$2000$2900-$5000
Sweden$900-$1900$1300-$1500$1200-$2200$3400-$5600
Switzerland$2000-$4500$2400-$2600$1300-$2400$5700-$9500
UK (England)$2500-$6600$1800-$2000$1000-$2200$5300-$10800
UK (Scotland)$1350-$3550$1300-$1500$1050-$2400$3700-$7450
UK (Wales)$1200-$2500 $1250-$1450$1500-$2100$3950-$6050
Regional Average$1200-$2700$1400-$1600$1200-$2400$3800-$6700

Eastern Europe

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
Russia$350-$900$700-$900N/A$1050-$1800
Türkiye$300-$800$600-$800$1500-$2450$2400-$4050
Ukraine$350-$900 $650-$850N/A$1000-$1750
Regional Average$350-$900$650-$850$1500-$2600

Latin America

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
Argentina$300-$700 $600-$800$1300-$2000$2200-$3500
Chile$600-$1200$1000-$1200$900-$1900$2500-$4300
Costa Rica$600-$1500$1100-$1300$1250-$2000$2950-$4800
Ecuador$400-$800$700-$900$1300-$2300$2400-$4000
Guatemala$500-$1400$800-$1000$1100-$2000$2400-$4400
Nicaragua$300-$800$750-$950$1600-$2000$2650-$3750
Panama$700-$2100$1000-$1200$1400-$1700$3100-$5000
Regional Average$500-$1200$850-$1050$1300-$2000$2600-$4250

North America

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
United States$1900-$4100$1500-$1700$450-$900$3850-$6700
Mexico$500-$1400$900-$1100$1000-$1700$2400-$4200
Regional Average$1200-$2750$1200-$1400$750-$1300$3150-$5450

East Asia

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
China$500-$1700$800-$1000$2300-$3300$3600-$6000
Hong Kong$2200-$5800$1500-$1700$2500-$3700$6200-$11200
Japan$600-$1900$1200-$1400$2200-$3250$4000-$6550
South Korea$500-$2000$1500-$1700$2200-$3150$4200-$6850
Taiwan$500-$1450$1100-$1300$2300-$3350$3900-$6100
Regional Average$900-$2600$1300-$1500$2300-$3350$4400-$7400

South-East Asia

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
India$200-$600$500-$700$2300-$3900$3000-$5200
Singapore$3200-$9100$1600-$1800$2500-$3300$7300-$14200
Thailand$400-$1500$800-$1000$2500-$3400$3700-$5900
Vietnam$400-$1200$700-$900$2100-$3200$3200-$5300
Regional Average$1050-$3100$900-$1100$2350-$2700$4300-$7650

Middle Asia

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
Lebanon$500-$1900$1200-$1400$1500-$2500$3200-$5800
Israel$1200-$2300$1400-$1600$1300-$2200$3900-$6100
Saudi Arabia$500-$1100$1100-$1300$1800-$2700$3400-$5100
United Arab Emirates$1200-$2800$1300-$1500$1600-$2600$4100-$6900
Regional Average$850-$2050$1250-$1450$1550-$2500$3650-$6000

Oceania

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
Australia$1700-$3400$1500-$1700$3300-$3900$6500-$9000
New Zealand$1300-$2600$1400-$1600$2700-$3400$5400-$7600
Regional Average$1500-$3000$1450-$1650$3000-$3650$5950-$8300

Sub-Sahara Africa

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
Ghana$200-$3000$700-$900$2050-$3100$2950-$7000
Kenya$200-$850$650-$850$1700-$2700$2550-$4400
South Africa$500-$1050$800-$1000$1900-$3000$3200-$5050
Regional Average$300-$1650$750-$950$1900-$3000$2900-$5500

Caribbean

Average calculated in CAD, per month

CountryAccommodationExpenditures*Return FlightTotal
Barbados$650-$2100$1600-$1800$1300-$2000$3550-$5900
Jamaica$450-$1450$1100-$1300$800-$1900$2350-$4650
Trinidad and Tobago$500-$1300$1150-$1350$1350-$2800$3000-$5450
Regional Average$550-$1650$1300-$1500$1150-$2300$3000-$5400

*(Food/Necessity/Phone/Transportation/Entertainment)